TPLTMOE - Chapter 28

Ling Ran suddenly felt a pang of grievance, lowering his head.

Did those words mean Jiang thought he wasn't being good enough? Was he actually being annoying?

Could it be... Mr. Jiang never really wanted to take him in?

Seeing his silence, Jiang Zhiyu adjusted his collar, causing Ling Ran to lift his head again.

"Stop overthinking." Jiang Zhiyu seemed to read his mind effortlessly. "What I mean is, you need to learn to control your pheromones." Stop tempting him with that sweet scent all the time.

"I... I brought scent blockers and suppressants." Ling Ran looked innocent—he shouldn't be emitting any scent right now, should he?

Jiang Zhiyu lowered his head slightly. The air carried only the briny dampness of sea breeze, with no trace of Omega pheromones.

Yet why did he keep catching that distinctive honeyed fragrance from him? With every breath the Omega took, it stirred an impulse to seal those lips.

Ling Ran remained looking up, watching as the towering enigma slowly closed the distance between them.

Though no pheromones were at play, Ling Ran felt rooted to the spot. The sounds of wind and waves faded, leaving only the thunderous pounding of his own heartbeat echoing in his ears.

His eyes widened slightly as he watched Jiang draw nearer... and nearer.

Until their noses were almost touching.

Too close...

Close enough to see Jiang Zhiyu's thick lashes cast shadows across his sharp nose bridge in the dim moonlight. Further down were two thin, moist lips.

Ling Ran had heard somewhere that thin lips often meant a cold heart.

But the eyes gazing at him now seemed to hold nothing but his own reflection—deep and intense, threatening to swallow him whole.

His hands instinctively rose, as if his legs could no longer support him, lightly clutching the shirt over Jiang's chest.

Beneath his palms, he could feel the tense, defined muscles, straining with restraint.

The sea breeze entwined around them as the moon hung seductively overhead.

Ling Ran trembled slightly with nervousness, his mind blank as he slowly closed his eyes.

After waiting for a moment, nothing happened—only a hand suddenly brushed lightly across his cheek.

Ling Ran abruptly opened his eyes to see Jiang Zhiyu already straightening up.

The man rubbed his slender fingers together, his voice slightly hoarse: "There was sand on your face."

Ling Ran instantly released his grip on Jiang Zhiyu's clothes, his cheeks burning crimson in the darkness.

So Jiang Zhiyu had just been wiping his face.

What had he been expecting?!

***

The two returned to the suite one after the other.

Still wrapped in the oversized suit jacket, Ling Ran sat primly on the sofa with his legs pressed together, looking like a misbehaving child awaiting punishment.

When Jiang Zhiyu asked if he'd eaten dinner, he obediently replied yes. Asked if he wanted to shower now, he said he'd already bathed that afternoon. After freshening up in the bathroom, he hurried into the bedroom to pull out a single-person quilt from the closet, carefully arranging it on the sofa.

"I can sleep here tonight," Ling Ran said, sitting on the makeshift bed. "You should rest on the bed—the staff have already cleaned it, so it's not dirty."

"Sleep in the bed," Jiang Zhiyu countered. "I'll be working late."

But Ling Ran swiftly burrowed into the sofa quilt, stretching his legs demonstratively.

"The sofa here is very spacious—I fit perfectly. But you're too tall, so you should take the bed. I'm already feeling sleepy anyway, so I won't keep you company tonight."

He feigned a yawn: "Goodnight, Mr. Jiang."

With that, he quickly closed his eyes and ducked under the covers, terrified of being questioned—about why he'd closed his eyes on the beach earlier.

Seeing him turtle up so guiltily, Jiang Zhiyu didn't press further, heading to the study after his shower.

He hadn't drunk much that evening—just two extra glasses when he spotted an 80s vintage wine, its aged flavor particularly rich and mellow.

Tomorrow's departure involved several projects: the West Harbor collaboration with the Tang Group, the new energy vehicle R&D investment negotiated with Yan Xiwen, plus other corporate partnerships.

This summit banquet had been fruitful for most attending companies—even those without closed deals had gained valuable connections.

On the desk lay the proposal Jiang Zhiyu had given Ling Ran yesterday, now densely annotated from start to finish. The thorough notes revealed genuine thought—some ideas still idealistic, but already showing remarkable creativity for someone so young.

The document might as well have been rewritten entirely. Such a polished proposal was extraordinary for a fresh graduate, let alone one two years younger than his peers—Ling Ran clearly had limitless potential.

***

Ling Ran slept soundly on the sofa, nightmare-free.

When he woke, it was already past 10 AM—a full eleven hours of sleep.

The departure ferry had left promptly at 10. They'd missed their boat.

Ling Ran was initially quite annoyed, wondering if he had overslept and missed their time. But Jiang Zhiyu seemed to have woken up long ago yet hadn't roused him.

A server knocked on the door, delivering a rather lavish breakfast.

Even as he ate, Ling Ran felt uneasy and said, "Sorry, it's all because I overslept..."

Jiang Zhiyu, who had already finished his meal, ladled a bowl of seafood congee and placed it in front of him.

"I still had some matters to wrap up. You could have slept a bit longer."

Ling Ran took a sip of the congee and replied, "No, no, it's fine. Everyone else has already left. How should we proceed later?"

Jiang Zhiyu said, "Someone is coming to pick us up."

Ling Ran never expected that the "someone" he mentioned would be Tang Bei.

As the host, Tang Bei had specially arranged for a luxury yacht to come fetch them.

Throughout the journey, Tang Bei personally accompanied them, his attitude obsequious, his words dripping with flattery toward Jiang Zhiyu.

Tang Jun was already well enough to sit up in the hospital. Compared to the billions at stake, those injuries were practically negligible.

Unlike the Jiang family, an old-money dynasty, Tang Bei was a self-made man who had climbed to his current position through sheer grit and cunning—traits far beyond the average person.

For instance, despite knowing full well that Jiang Zhiyu was the one who had beaten his own son into the hospital, Tang Bei could still sit on the yacht with him, chatting and laughing. Such thick skin and steely resolve left Ling Ran feeling utterly inadequate.

He didn't participate in their conversation, instead staring blankly at the azure sea.

The talk of billion-dollar deals and political affairs wasn't something he needed to dwell on right now. What he had to figure out was where he would go once the yacht docked.

Going home was definitely out of the question. His phone had several missed calls and unread messages, none of which he wanted to check. As if by not seeing them, he could pretend the urgency pressing down on him wasn't concern but a series of death warrants.

These past two days by Jiang Zhiyu's side, he had barely glanced at his phone, and his mood had become uncharacteristically calm and peaceful.

Suddenly, he noticed a few seagulls chasing the yacht on either side. Taking some food from the table, he said to Jiang Zhiyu, "Mr. Jiang, I'd like to go outside for a bit."

Jiang Zhiyu gave his consent, and Ling Ran stepped out onto the deck alone.

Tearing the bread into small pieces, he skewered one with a fork and held it up high. A seagull swooped down at lightning speed, snatching the morsel in the blink of an eye.

Ling Ran found it fascinating and speared another piece, which was promptly snatched by a different gull.

He tirelessly fed the seagulls, making sure each got its fair share.

From inside the cabin, only the gentle curve of the little Omega's smiling profile was visible. Whenever a seagull took the bread, his smile would brighten even more.

Tang Bei glanced at the Omega, then at Jiang Zhiyu, whose gaze remained fixed outside the cabin. He seemed genuinely surprised. "Directo Jiang, isn't your family known for upholding traditional values? That night at the mahjong table, everyone thought it was just casual fun. But rest assured, we're all tight-lipped—no one in our circles would gossip about such things. As long as everyone keeps quiet, it's all good."

The implication was clear: no matter how Jiang Zhiyu had "played" with Ling Ran, none of them would breathe a word to Jiang Shengyi.

The Omega who had their engagement broken off by the Jiang family's second branch—had now gotten involved with the main branch and not just anyone, but Jiang Zhiyu, Jiang Shengyi's uncle.

Talk about playing with fire.

Jiang Zhiyu withdrew his gaze. Though the two were about to enter a partnership, his composed and lofty demeanor always seemed to overshadow everyone around him.

He gave Tang Bei a cool glance. "Who told you it was just for fun?"

Tang Bei widened his eyes. "If it's not for fun, then what—are you serious? Come on, President Jiang, with your status, you could have any Omega you want. Why would you go out of your way to pick up your nephew's leftovers?"

Jiang Zhiyu's expression darkened abruptly. "What did you just say?"

Tang Bei immediately sensed the terrifying pressure radiating from him, just like when he had brought people to block the door that day. It seemed that any mention of that Omega quickly wore down Jiang Zhiyu's patience.

Truthfully, Tang Bei didn't even know if Jiang Shengyi and that Omega had ever gotten physical. But they had been engaged for two years—even if they hadn't completed a permanent mark, surely they had slept together?

If his own son was bewitched by that little vixen, fine—but how had even Jiang Zhiyu fallen under some kind of spell?

A cold sweat broke out on Tang Bei's back. He couldn't lift his head, quickly backtracking, "No, no, I misspoke. I just meant that since he just broke off the engagement with Shengyi, wouldn't your family have objections?"

"No need for your concern, President Tang."

As soon as Jiang Zhiyu finished speaking, Ling Ran walked in from the deck.

Tang Bei, still sweating under the oppressive atmosphere, watched as the Omega showed no reaction at all, obediently sitting back down beside Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhiyu glanced at him and reminded, "Wipe your hands."

Ling Ran gave an "Oh," then picked up a wet wipe, carefully cleaning his fingers before showing them to Jiang Zhiyu and tossing the wipe

away.

Their actions seemed unnaturally natural.

One naturally gave orders, the other naturally obeyed—and even provided feedback afterward.

Something felt off to Tang Bei, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In any case, once he got back, he'd give Tang Jun a strict order: from now on, if he ever saw Ling Ran, he had to detour at least a hundred meters away.

Better to avoid trouble than provoke it.

Before long, the yacht docked. Zhao Qin, who had gone ashore first on the ferry, was already waiting by the car.

Under Tang Bei's watchful gaze, the two got into the vehicle together.

Once the car started moving, Zhao Qin asked from the front, "President Jiang, where should we take Mr. Ling Ran?"

Ling Ran quickly said, "You can just drop me off at the intersection ahead. I can get back on my own."

Zhao Qin didn't dare agree without Jiang Zhiyu's instructions.

"Mr. Ling, just tell us where you need to go. Should we take you home?"

"No," Ling Ran tugged at his clothes, "That's not necessary..."

Jiang Zhiyu spoke up, "Running away isn't the solution."

Ling Ran turned to look at him. The man sitting beside him appeared as composed and unflappable as ever, his handsome features so refined they seemed almost cold and emotionless, as if devoid of any human feelings.

Perhaps he always knew how to make the right choices and find solutions to difficult problems.

But Ling Ran felt he was sometimes quite foolish. When he didn't know what to do, his first instinct seemed to be hiding.

The little Omega's eyes turned slightly red. Jiang Zhiyu softened his tone, "Take it slow."

"But... I don't want to go back..."

"That's fine," Jiang Zhiyu said, "You're an adult capable of taking responsibility for your actions. You can make your own decisions." Feeling respected and validated, Ling Ran gained some confidence, "I can stay with Cheng Yue for a few days while I figure things out." Zhao Qin in the driver's seat suddenly coughed, quickly covering his mouth, his face turning red from suppressed laughter.

"Sorry, sorry."

Actually, on their way here, he'd already followed Jiang Zhiyu's orders to have the beachside villa prepared, planning to take Ling Ran there after they came ashore.

But who would have thought their CEO wouldn't mention wanting to bring the Omega home, instead encouraging him to make his own decision.

Now the person wasn't coming after all.

Jiang Zhiyu showed no reaction, simply responding, "Alright."

Zhao Qin could only drive Ling Ran to Qin Chengyue's place. Ling Ran had already called ahead, and Qin Chengyue was waiting at the door. Seeing a luxury car pull up and Ling Ran emerge before it drove away, Qin Chengyue looked curiously at the impressive license plate. "I don't remember anyone in your family driving a Rolls-Royce. Who brought you here?"

Ling Ran pushed him toward the door, "It was... a premium ride-hailing service. Don't look, it's already gone."

With only Qin Chengyue at home, he still felt something was off after closing the door. He circled Ling Ran, sniffing at him like a puppy before fixing him with a suspicious stare.

"You're acting strange. Tell me the truth—do you have another alpha now?!"

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